Triple Play

Cape Coral couple welcomes three babies to the world

May 8, 2013

When Cape Coral residents Adam and Amy Buteau learned that they were going to have another baby, they never expected one would mean three.

"We thought we were having one baby," Amy Buteau said Friday.

Further into the pregnancy, the doctor revealed that they were actually expecting twins. Then came the appointment to learn the babies' genders.

Article Photos

Michael Pistella

Brooke was delivered first at 8:05 a.m. at 5 pounds 9 ounces

Benjamin followed at 8:06 a.m., weighing in at 5 pounds 3 ounces.

Last delivered at 8:07 a.m. was Brielle — 5 pounds 10 ounces.

Michael Pistella

Amy Buteau looks at her daughter Brielle.

Adam Buteau holds his son Benjamin.

"And they found another baby," she laughed, adding that she and her husband had come up with two names starting with the letter B. "We had to think of another B name because I wasn't going to start all over again."

Buteau described learning of the triplets as an "out-of-body experience."

"It's a lot to take in," she said.

On Thursday, Buteau underwent a gentle cesarean, in which the baby is placed directly on the mother's chest immediately after birth and the surgical team finishes the operation in silence for a calming environment.

The operation was performed at the Cape Coral Hospital. The Buteaus are the third set of triplets born at the hospital in its 36-year history. A set of all boys was delivered in July 2007, followed by a set of girls in July 2008.

The Cape couple did not use fertility aids.

"It just happened," Adam Buteau said.

"These were spontaneous," his wife added.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Vital Statistics Report, there were 5,153 triplet births in 2010 in the United States. Triplet births are rare, and rarer without any aids.

Hospital officials reported that the probability of a given birth resulting in triplets without the use of fertility aids is an estimated one in 8,000.

One big obstacle for the Cape couple was educational information.

"There's not a lot of resources out there to relate to," he said, adding that they eventually found a group of parents expecting triplets on Facebook.

The Buteaus watched as their new Facebook friends welcomed their set of three into the world, never imagining their own would hold out until full term. The Buteau triplets were delivered just one day shy of their 37-week mark.

"Nobody had any health issues," Amy Buteau said.

The family's first three children - all girls - were delivered naturally. Hadley is the oldest at 11, Payton is 5 and Isabella is the youngest at 3.

"They are so proud," she said of the older sisters. "They all want to hold them (the newborns) - until they cry."

Adam Buteau said he is "very excited" about his first son.

"I'm going to have to pay for five weddings," he joked of his girls.

The Cape couple are the owners of Mom & Tot, the children's consignment store located at 1109 Del Prado Blvd. S. It specializes in baby, children's and maternity clothing and accessories, including furniture, cribs and baby gear.